Aisha Huang breaks down during cross-examination in high-profile trial

Illegal mining kingpin, En Huang, widely known as Aisha Huang, found herself in tears during cross-examination by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, at an Accra High Court on Tuesday, July 19, 2023.

According to a DailyGuide report, the DPP probed the accused about a statement she had given to immigration authorities following the arrest of four Chinese nationals—Qi Jin, Gao Jin Cheng, Habin Gao, and Zhang Zhipeng—at Bepotenten in the Ashanti Region.

Aisha Huang claimed that these individuals were in Ghana to repair her broken excavators, but the prosecution pointed to similar statements where she had allegedly admitted inviting them to work for her.

Though Aisha acknowledged her signature on those statements, she vehemently denied their content and broke down in tears while stating that she had not made such statements during the investigation.

In response to Aisha's emotional display, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo intervened and expressed her disapproval of witnesses crying in court.

Aisha quickly composed herself upon the judge's admonishment.

Insisting that she had no knowledge of the statement's content, Aisha asserted that she had only signed them under duress, fearing she wouldn't be allowed to leave the police station if she refused.

However, the DPP refuted this claim, pointing out that the individuals mentioned in the statement were not known to the immigration officers at the time of Aisha's statement in August 2016, implying that she must have provided their names herself.

The DPP further countered Aisha's claim that she was not a suspect or under any restraint during the investigation, asserting that she had voluntarily given the statement as a free person.

The prosecution also presented evidence that Aisha's company; Golden Asia Company Limited, possessed six excavators at an illegal mining site.

Although this was confirmed by a prosecution witness, Aisha vehemently denied it and questioned the credibility of the testimony.

During the cross-examination, Aisha also revealed that she operated under two identities; En Huang and Huang Ruixia, with two different dates of birth—November 7, 1987, and July 7, 1975. She justified this by explaining that her parents had given her both names and dates of birth, which she claimed was a common practice in China.

Additionally, she admitted to holding three different passports, each with different names, dates of birth, and places of birth. Aisha explained that one passport was canceled upon her repatriation from Ghana in 2018. When challenged about her dual identities, Aisha maintained that it was a cultural norm in China and suggested that the DPP verify this with the Chinese Embassy.

As the cross-examination proceeded, the DPP questioned the validity of Aisha's claims and suggested that her possession of two passports might be related to her involvement in illegal activities.

The case was adjourned until July 24 for further cross-examination and the presentation of additional evidence.

YNA/WA